Today was an absolutely gorgeous day at the Music for All Summer Symposium. The sun was shining as I woke up to the sounds of the Marching Percussion students warming up in the grassy knoll by Park Hall. As a previous member of a drum line in my own high school and the Pride of Mid-America Marching Band here at Ball State, I always have so much nostalgia when I see the line together and I resist every urge to pick up a pair of cymbals and jump in with them. I can’t wait to see their cadence at the Drum Corps International show on Friday night!
I also had the opportunity to spend the afternoon with the Color Guard division and the new Middle School Color Guard and watch rehearsal on the Quad. These kids bring so much passion to the Summer Symposium and interviewing them is one of my absolute favorite parts of coming to camp. I was especially impressed by the Middle School Color Guard students for speaking so eloquently about this new experience and what it is like to be surrounded by this many students of like-minds wanting to perfect their craft. Their final performance is truly one I will not miss!
I rounded out my day by watching members of our Jazz division perform with the United States Army Jazz Ambassadors. The awe on their faces as they came off the stage and the crowd was going wild for them gave me goosebumps because you could see the lightbulb click on for them about how special this camp experience truly is. When interviewing them afterward, they were all overjoyed, speechless, and excited for what the rest of the week has in store. It fills me with so much joy to know these kids will have a once-in-a-lifetime experience they will cherish for the rest of their lives.
